India 2018

542 India 2018
order to reduce the repayment liability and providing necessary tie up with
other poverty alleviation programmes. These corporations are playing an
important role in providing credit and inputs by way of margin money loans
and subsidy to the target group.
National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation
The National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC)
was set up in February, 1989 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013
(formerly Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956). The broad objective of NSFDC
is to provide financial assistance in the form of concessional loans to scheduled
castes families, and skill-cum-entrepreneurial training to the youth of the target
group, living below double the poverty line for their economic development.
Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes
Government announced the setting up of a Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled
Castes in 2014. This was to promote entrepreneurship among the scheduled
castes and to provide concessional finance to them.
Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes
In 2014, the government announced that a sum of ` 200 crore will be allocated
towards credit enhancement facility for young and start-up entrepreneurs,
belonging to scheduled castes, who aspire to be part of neo-middle class category
with an objective to encourage entrepreneurship in the lower strata of the society
resulting in job creation.
National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation
National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
was incorporated in 1997 as a company not for profit under Section 25 of the
Companies Act, 1956. NSKFDC is a apex corporation under the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment. The target group of the Corporation are
"Scavengers".
Welfar
elfare e of Persons with Disabilities
In order to give focused attention to different policy issues and meaningful
thrust to the activities aimed at welfare and empowerment of the Persons with
Disabilities, a separate Department of Disability Affairs was carved out of the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2012. The Department acts as a
nodal agency for matters pertaining to disability and persons with disabilities
including effecting closer coordination among different stakeholders : related
central ministries, state/UT governments, NGOs etc., in matters pertaining to
disability. According to Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities
in the country (who constitute 2.21 per cent of the total population). Out of the
total population of persons with disabilities, about 1.50 crore are men and 1.18
crore are women. These include persons with visual, hearing, speech and
locomotor disabilities, mental illness, mental retardation, multiple disabilities
and other disabilities.